Letter box



w. .I oHNsoN LETTER Box l Filed July 12.. 1924 m Walfrednhnnn UNITED Sfr 'WALFRED' JOHNSON,` or RAonE, wvrsoovnsrn- Patent@v 'Jluly 27, 19726. i

j me.;

LETTER Box@y z.l 4,

'l invention refers toletter boxes, and it has for its primary object to provide flexible means v`for suspendingv` the box,

Y whereby ybulky packages, whichcannot be linserted within the box,may be clamped orV grippingly secured between 'said' box and its support tothus insure safety of delivery. y ',Other, objects of my inventionare;' Y,

To provide links 1n connection with the box support and box, wherebyy the box may be swung in andoutffrom its support to provide a. space therebetween for packages. yTo providea box having a swingingor f.' linked f connection, withv a vyieldable back` wall, whereby thelbox and its mouth may be expanded for the receptiony of bulky mail" land thereafter the shiftable back wallmay l ly be 'understood that the cost of,manufacs` yture isiiicrease'd only slight'lyasfth'e link .'attachment lcan be readily ad]uste`d tol such f typesof 'letter vboxes as ,aref now;y onl .the

be compressed' when the box is shifted rtow'ardsits support. Applicant has had can be-tucked between the rearwall; of the box and its support. By providing *thisl arv rangement to any type' of box, it will. lfead` market. v t A n A further :advantage of this construetion is that lthe carrierV is not required to per-y form awkward manipulations, for the rea.l son thatthe mail fcan, in this swinging 'type y of box,.be adjustedy in position both in the box and to thevrearof. itfwithone'l hand.,`

n It has" also been found in practieebyfapf plicantthat thelfusual `mail delivery boxv is limited in its (':alacityc to the size of its mouth, which mouth lis usually a narrow slot. Hence a substantial `volume of-mail a .cannot be fed into the box exceptby in serting one or two pieces at atime.

In view of this objectionable. feature, and for the vpurpose of saving time, applicant has devised in connection vwith his box invention a yieldable back wall'whi'chy is preferably pivoted atthe bottom and provided with a cap closure'insuch relation that r when it is desired to deposit mail, the expansible or swinging rear wall can be readi- `showing thev gapping mouth of maximum V`capacity, :whereby ay large 'package of. mailean be `suitably dropped i`ntothe receptacle-.when *the box visfkswung away from. itssupport,

and upon'leavingtheboxfthe deliverer will 'ly ktipped j backwardly ,to develop. 'a K wide or y all perform a simple operation of pressing the y i bei; ybac,kwardlyA towards lthe lsupporti whereby the rear rfiexible wall willlswing towards the closedp'osition and tightly `compress the mail therein between-the 'two wal-ls., m .l

' `Another object `of"ap)plicant-s arrangement is that vthe o upper. portion of vthebox,

when swung outwardly, *in conjunction with 'the upper link or links, serves as a support for large y'rollsfor the like, which cannot be v inserted between the 'rear' wallY of the. box audits support.

vAnother object` of 'applicantfsS invention is that provision may bemade for .supportving boxes in accordance `with the invention,

either `in verticalfdirection or horizontal,

, *With the above objectsinviewpthe fin- Athis positionirig being readily'. accomplished y by minor details Aof, design orstructure.

"vention consists lin certain peculiarities .of

lconstrucvtiontgand"combination of parts, as

`l`will `be hereinafter setfforth with reference semien't'ly"Y claimed. kf v In the'idrawings: l

to the",accompanyingl illustratioijisy and sub- 1f "Figure l; represents ya longitudinal, ksectional'elevation'of a ma1lbox embody1ng kthe features of` my invention;v

.y `ligf're 2 is'afrolntface'viewgoffthe same box Vswung against the support. v kFigure 3 isafcross section offsaid box,fa1 d i y Figure All is a sideelevationuof lthe saine.;` Referring byjcharacters t0 the drawings, y,

l represents afixed'support to which .isse-;

has pivoted `to its upper and-lower ends cured,'by anyrsuitablemeans, abaclrplate' which may bef of ."s'le'let-crnv formation, or solid, as 'the case may requireThis plate linksl 3-3, respectively/,ly which links have their outer ends inturned to form pivots for the side walls 4 of a letter box. The in-l turned ends of the upper linksv 3 also form pivotsfor a swinging cap rvorco'ver 5, 'which is adapted to,` serve as a closure for the mouth-of the b ox. n A

Ihe ends of the lower link'3 servel as pivots for the back wall of the box, said back wall having inturned side'l walls 62 which are `in sliding vunionv with the side wall of the main box section. 'llhe upper edgesof the swinging back wall and the iront wall of the box are formed with an' inturned lip 7 for the mouth of the box, and it will be observed that said mouth extends from side wall. to side wall of the box and is therefore of a width equal to the width of said box, so as to provide maximum capacity.

When the box is in its normal closed position, as shown in Figure 1l, it represents maximum capacity, and for example in such position, should a thick volume of mail be 'inserted between the mou-th lips, the back wall will automatically expand or swing out, as indicated by dotted lines X, so as to increase the capacity ot the box in prof portion to the inail inserted therein.

When suoli mail is inserted, the box can be pressedbacliwardly towards its support, and the lowery wall will, due to its engagementwith the plate 2, snugly compress the mail and'perniit the box to move towards its support until the mail matter therein `obstructs further rearward movement or' the "front 'wall of said box.

It is understood that under normal conditions the box is in position,` as indicated by "Figure l of the drawings, and if an ordinaryamount of mail. only is to be inserted in thebox, thek cap closure 5 can be swung outwardly upon its pivots, whereby the mouth is'exposed `and the mail delivered. If a large amount of mail, bulky packages, etc., is to be delivered, the operator'grips the bottom ot the box between its 'support and the rear wall, and by'a gentle pull outwardly said box will swing upwardly and outwardly guided by its Alinks to the position shown in Figure '1, in which position all mail matter can be deposited,"as indicated by dotted lines.

It is obvious that while it maybe preferable to connect the links toa 'back plate ot solid or skeleton frame, applicant in some cases directly connects the links to the support and dispenses with this back plate, but under ordinary conditions the back plate is 'preferable as it constitutes avery convenient method of'attaching the box and also' adds to the neatness of appearance.

It will also be understood that while I vconnection with this invention apglicant Vhas' .manufactured and thoroughly tested boxes embodying the generalV features, as disclosed,and said boxesl'liave been found to meet vall'otl the necessary requirements of the' house delivery box, 'and ldisinterested 'carriers have stamped their'appr'oval upon it, due to the fact that it isI not only'ac'ony"venient container forman, but. it expedites their work and insures and 'eliminates the possibility of bulky inail or 'papers'being inacvertently blown from the usual' position in' which they are placed'on the top of boxes, ortho like; In otherwords, the bulky mail snugly grippedv between the box 'andfits support in the saine manner that'an individ- Iual would frictionally "grip such Ipackages between the arinY and' the body.

lf'vhile I have described certain specific forms of my invention minutely as to detail, it is understood that I may, without de- 'parting from the spirit of it, vary the 'structural `featuresindelinitely within the scope ofthe claim.

I'claimiy 'A I letter boxv comprising a back plate adapted for attachment to'a support, a" pair otlinks hinged tosaid back plate'at 'their y rear` ends, a letter box carried bythe forward ends of said links', the orwardends of said links'having'inturned'ends projecting into the walls of said let-ter box,l 'said letter box having an o'pentop, a cover for said top having downturned sides Lpivoted upon the inturned ends of said upper link.

In testimony'that I claim the foregoing I `have hereunto set inyli'and'at Racine, in the county ot'Racine and State of Wisconsin 'VVALFRED JOHNSON. 

